This profile portrait of a young woman was recently attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. However, forger Shaun Greenhalgh argues that he created it in 1975 after a girl he knew. Forensic testing shows that the vellum the painting was created on dates back to at least 200 years before Greenhalgh’s time. That being said, some believe the painting was created as a fake Leonardo in 1650 during a time when there were few ways to authenticate artwork. Further testing has convinced more experts that the work was Leonardo’s, but it will remain contested until art experts reach an unanimous decision.
By Alyssa Kent
Sources:
Jones, Jonathan. “This is a Leonardo da Vinci? The gullible experts have been duped again.” The Guardian (30 Nov. 2015). https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/30/leonardo-da-vinci-experts-painting-la-bella-principessa [accessed 11 May 2021].